Eurogamer reports that Pokemon Rumble U, which was first announced last month, will allow players to purchase Pokemon figures that unlock in-game characters.

The use of the GamePad’s NFC tech has not been officially confirmed, but you can be almost certain it will feature.

Seven figures have been confirmed, with the first being Pikachu. The toys themselves will record game info internally. The core game will sell at a discounted ¥1,800 (£12.60) and the toys at ¥200 (£1.40) each.

There’s no word yet on a Western release for the game.

Nintendo will be counting on the allure of the still-popular Pokemon license to counter rival products from Activision and Disney. Of course, one advantage Pokemon Rumble U will (presumably) have is that it will not require an external ‘portal’ device to connect the toys to the console – meaning it will be able to undercut its pricier rivals.

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